Brother's blood
by helenoftroy2107
Summary: sequel to Mesmerised; when Stefan is hurt by a vampire hunter, Damon's blood proves to be the best medicine


**AN: I don't own anything!**

**Brother's blood**

_(set half a year after Mesmerised; Stefan and Elena have returned from Italy and rented a house near the town where Bonnie and Damon go to college, Meredith's still off with Alaric somewhere, Sage's just making his appearance)_

It was a warm evening in the middle of June and the street was full of young people, mainly college students who took a night off before the exams started. Damon locked the door of the bookshop where he worked thinking absentmindedly that life, in general, was pretty good at the moment. He spent most of his mornings in college with Bonnie and the afternoons in Mr Brown's bookshop. And every evening he was going home.

He had, he concluded, nothing to complain about. His relationship with Bonnie was flawless for the time being, he had gotten over the fact that he wasn't the big bad vampire anymore, he was no longer fruitlessly chasing Elena and though Meredith was still a bit scary, he was getting on perfectly with his little brother.

He remembered the last time all four of them went out for the night. They had played bowling and Bonnie had been the absolute winner. Damon secretly suspected she had used some kind of a witchy mojo to beat Stefan but he knew it was better to leave it at that.

His thoughts strayed to Bonnie. She was most probably already home. Her parents insisted on sending her money regularly and she did only part time jobs in the college library for extra cash. She usually waited for him and they cooked their dinner together so Damon expected to find her on the couch in the living room, absorbed in a textbook.

That was why he was surprised when he entered the flat and heard people talking in the kitchen. The smell of Chineese wafted around and Bonnie's laugh reached his ears. Curiously he approached the kitchen but before he managed to enter the door opened to reveal Sage.

Damon gazed at him with such an astonished expression that the bronze tanned vampire couldn't hold back his chuckle.

"Comment ça va, mon chou? Il y a longtemps depuis notre dérnière rencontre." he said with a smile. (AN: Sorry if my French's a bit rusty – "How are you pumpkin? It has been a long time since we have last met.")

Damon grinned as saw Bonnie's wrinkled nose. She didn't like it when Sage spoke French.

"I'm fine, thanks. What about you? How did you find us?"

"Beautiful Elena told me you lived here."

"You've been to Elena's!" Damon was surprised. "Why?"

"I was after your brother actually." Sage admitted.

Damon frowned suspiciously.

"What do you want with my brother?"

"Nothnig, don't worry!" laughed Sage. "I was looking for him because I hoped he could tell me where to find you."

"Me?" Damon was even more confused. His eyes moved to Bonnie who looked innocently at the ceilling. "Come on Sage, spit it out. I don't understand. Why would you look for me?"

Sage suddenly seemed uncomfortable.

"You see, mon chou, when you became human I fled and left you alone even though you needed me. I have been blaming myself ever since. I just wanted to say I am sorry..." his voice trailed.

Damon stared at him with disbelief. This was unexpected. He was still trying to figure all this out when Bonnie nudged him. He looked at her with an annoyed expression but she inclined her head towards Sage. Damon followed her gaze and his heart stopped. The powerful vampire had lowered his head and was slowly shaking it. His whole being seemed to fade with sadness. Damon carefully approached him. He had never seen Sage so broken.

"Sage" he spoke queitly. The vampire didn't look up.

"Sage, look at me" a slightly commanding tone appreared in Damon's voice.

The vampire raised his head and met his friend's gaze. The puppy dog eyes were so not in place on his face that Damon nearly laughed out loud.

"I am not angry with you."

"No?" Sage seemed not to believe it.

"I was at first but not anymore." Damon smiled. He stretched his hand to Sage "Friends?"

Sage's face lit up. Next thing Damon knew he was nearly squeezed to death in the strong vampire's embrace. "Of course, mon chou."

"You'll have to tell me where that mon chou thing came from, you know!" Bonnie interfered.

Sage looked at Damon's murderous glare and laughed.

"Maybe some other time. Now, it's time for dinner."

"Finally" cheered Bonnie and rushed to lay the table.

The evening went smooth and pleasant all three of them eating and joking amiably. It was late in the night when Sage got up.

"It is time, my friends" he said.

"Won't you stay the night?" Damon asked.

"No, I am afraid I have to go. But I will visit again." he turned to Bonnie. "I have something for you, madame." He handed her a bright blue crystal on a golden chain.

"It's beautiful" whispered Bonnie as she carefully took it.

"Oui, it is. But it is also useful as you'll see. With its help you can summon me no matter where I am, if need be. Au revoir, mes amis" with that he walked out of the door and disappeared into the night.

"Let me help you put it on" Damon's voice pulled Bonnie out of her reverie.

When the crystal was secured on her neck they went to bed still discussing Sage's appearance.

/

An annoying sound woke Damon early the next morning. Next to him Bonnie moaned and buried her head under the pillow. It a took a few more seconds for him to realise that it was his phone ringing. He took it from the bedside table and squinted at the display. With a grunt he picked up.

"What is it?" he almost growled.

"Damon" Elena's voice sounded hysterical. "It's Stefan. He is gone."

It was enough to wake Damon completely up.

"I'll be right there." he promised.

/

Half an hour later Damon and Bonnie were at their friends' house. Elena met them. She was pale and worried but she wasn't crying.

"What do you mean he is gone?" Damon asked.

"He went out hunting in the forest yesterday not long before Sage stopped by. And he hasn't come back yet. He is not anywhere nearby and I can't get him on his phone." she said as evenly as she could with her voice shaking slightly.

Damon thought for a moment. They needed to find Stefan soon but they needed help. In moments like this he hated he was no longer powerful.

"Ok" he said. "We'll find him. But we need some assistance. Bonnie, I think we'll have to use the crystal sooner than we expected.

Bonnie looked at him for a moment and nodded. Then she held the crystal tightly, closed her eyes and said clearly "Sage, I need you". At first nothing happened and Damon half believed it had been Sage's idea of a joke. Right at that time a knock on the door made all three of them jump. Elena rushed to open and let Sage in.

He took in her pale face and Damon's serious expression.

"I assume you didn't call to offer me breakfast" he said gravely.

"Stefan's gone missing in the forest. We need to find him as fast as we can."

"Ok then. I take Elena and we head north. You and Bonnie go south."

"Right"

They separated and departed in the opposite directions. Damon and Bonnie had walked in the woods for nearly 20 minutes when Bonnie suddenly stopped dead. She pulled Damon's sleeve and pointed right ahead.

Damon patted her hand encouragingly.

"It's alright. I see him."

They approached carefully. It was indeed Stefan, prone on the ground, his phone smashed. Damon knelt next to his brother, trying to see if he was ok. A small bloody stain on Stefan's shurt caught his attention. He probed the shallow wound gently and pulled the vervain dart out.

"Vampire hunters" he turned to Bonnie who aslo knelt at Stefan's side. "Help me get all those out."

Together they worked fast and checked Stefan's body pulling out all darts they found. Stefan moaned and moved slihtly. His eyes snapped open but weren't really focused. Damon cursed.

"He needs blood. The vervain's been too much."

He quickly checked his brother's inside pocket and found a small wooden knife. Bonnie was about to say that he would not be able to cut his hand deep enough with it when Damon brought it to his throat and scratched. A small trickle of blood slipped down his skin. He cradled Stefan gently and brought his head to his neck. Stefan instinctively smelled the blood and his canines showed. He seemed uncertain though and did not move any further. Damon pulled him even closer.

"It's alright, little brother, take what you need."

At that Stefan lunged forward and bit fiercely into Damon's unprotected neck. Damon gasped but stood still. Bonnie's eyes widened. Stefan drank greedily from his brother and the more he took, the more his grip on Damon tightened. Bonnie watched with apprehension as Damon grew obviously paler, his own gaze becoming unfocused. She reached and caught Stefan's arm.

"Stefan, I think that's enough."

He turned and growled at her, his eyes bloodshot, blood dripping down his chin. His grip on the half councious Damon remained as tight as it was. Bonnie realised with horror that Stefan had lost control just as he bit forcefully in the other side of Damon's neck.

Bonnie jumped to her feet and looked franticaly around. Then she remembered the crystal around her neck and grasped it.

"Sage, help" she screamed desperately.

Seconds later Sage and Elena hurled from the nearby trees. Elena stopped in her tracks looking terrified, but Sage rushed forward and pulled Stefan away from his brother. Damon fell on the ground pale and bloodied.

"What do you think you are doing?" Sage shouted at Stefan and slapped him hard across the face.

Stefan stopped trying to get to Damon again and looked around as realisation hit him. He took a faltering step back as he watched Bonnie bent over his brother with tears in her eyes. Sage pushed past her and picked Damon off the ground.

"Come on," he said. "Let's get out of here."

He headed back towards the house and Elena, Bonnie and Stefan hurried after him.

"Shouldn't we call a doctor?" asked Bonnie her voice a bit shaky.

"Not necessary" Sage's voice sounded from the bedroom door. "He'll be alright. You can go see him if you want." he added. "He is awake."

Bonnie rushed in the room. Damon was seated in the bed propped against a pile of pillows. His neck was heavily bandaged and his skin pale but other than that he seemed ok.

"I will not drop dead any moment" he said queitly with a smile.

Bonnie managed a smile as well but she didn't trust herself to talk. Instead she just went to him and held him tight. He hugged her too and for a while they just sat peacefully. When they finally let go Bonnie looked up at Damon.

"I think you should talk to Stefan." she suggested tentatively.

Damon nodded. "I should"

Bonnie stood and headed for the door.

"I will get him"

Back in the kitchen Elena was trying to comfort Stefan without any real success. Bonnie approached queitly but Stefan looked up.

"Damon wants to see you" she said and beckoned him to follow her.

When they reached the bedroom door she opened it and stood aside to let him pass.

Stefan entered the room with his head bowed down. He couldn't bring himself to look at his brother.

"Little brother" Damon's voice sounded tired.

"I nearly killed you" Stefan said without looking up.

"But I am alive"

"I hurt you" his eyes were still down.

"I am fine"

"I caused you pain" Stefan voice quivered.

"You didn't"

At that Stefan's head snapped up.

"What?"

"You didn't cause me pain because I gave you my blood willingly. And I would do it again if I have to"

"So you are not afraid of me" Stefan asked with disbelief.

Damon sighed and reached for his brother's hand. He pulled Stefan down on the bed and lifted his chin until they were facing each other. The dark eyes seemed tired but calm.

"Do I look afraid?"

"Well, no but..."

"Stefan, you are my brother! I would do everything in my power to help you and if my blood's what you need, it is yours. All of it if need be. And that's that." he said before Stefan managed to protest. "Now be a good brother and go find me another blanket. I am cold."

Stefan was out of the room and looking for a blanket before he even realised that the enormous weight that seemed to crash him was gone. Damon was not angry, he was not afraid. He had done that to save him! He returned to the room with the blanket, ready to thank his brother for helping him but he found Damon fast asleep. He covered him gently and smiled to himself. He felt alive and full of energy. But that was to be expected. He had just been given a wonderful powerful gift – a brother's blood.

**Review, please!**

Sorry if the ending sounded a bit lame.


End file.
